Indian Navy says it joined search operation for IRIS Dena after US submarine sunk the frigate

New Delhi: The Indian Navy on Thursday said it joined the search and rescue operations for the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena and its survey vessel INS Ikshak remains in the search area near the Sri Lanka coast looking for the remaining missing crew of the Iranian frigate.

The Iranian warship was returning home after participating in the International Fleet Review and Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India when a torpedo fired from a US submarine sank it.

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At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack while 32 were rescued, according to Sri Lankan authorities.

An Indian Navy spokesperson said a distress call from IRIS Dena was received at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Colombo in the early hours of March 4 as reported by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The ship was operating 20 nautical miles west of Galle in the search and rescue region under Sri Lankan responsibility.

Receiving the information, the Indian Navy joined the search and rescue efforts, deploying its long-range P8I maritime patrol aircraft at 1000 hours to augment the search efforts led by Sri Lanka. Another aircraft with airdroppable life rafts was kept on standby for immediate deployment.

INS Tarangini which was operating nearby, was deployed to aid the rescue efforts. The ship arrived in the search area by 1600 hours on March 4, but by then search operations had been undertaken by the Sri Lankan Navy and other agencies.

“INS Ikshak has also sailed from Kochi to augment the search efforts and continues to remain in the area to search for missing personnel as a humanitarian measure for shipwrecked personnel. Coordination with the Sri Lankan side on Search and Rescue efforts is ongoing,” the spokesperson said.

In Colombo, Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said authorities were continuing the search for missing sailors.